Geographical Varieties of English

The term Geographic Varieties refer to versions of English spoken in different geographic regions, such as different parts of England, the United States, or even globally.
Essentially, the geographic varieties of English are shaped by historical, cultural, societal and community influences.
Accents and dialects tend to vary regionally, with the distinctive features of pronunciation, vocabulary and syntax differing in each regional variation of English.
Received Pronunciation (RP), or ‘the Queen’s English’, is recognised as the standard form of English. However, it is spoken by only a small percentage of the population and mainly by those from an upper and upper-middle class background.
The English spoken in Scotland, Wales and Ireland each have distinct features different from Standard English. For example, Scots English uses vocabulary and grammar that can be traced back to Old English and Norse whereas Hiberno-English (spoken in Ireland) has been influenced by the Irish language and includes words and phrases not used in other forms of English.
Regional dialects in Britain are often divided into Northern, Midland and Southern. These regional divisions are based on historical, geographical and social factors.
English is widely spoken across the world as a first, second or foreign language. There are many different varieties of World Englishes, reflecting the cultural and historical influences of the countries where English is spoken. These include American, Canadian, Australian, South Asian, West African English etc.
American English and British English are the two most commonly compared variants of English. They differ in terms of spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation. For example, a lorry in British English is known as a truck in American English.
In sociolinguistics, the study of World Englishes considers the impact of English as a global lingua franca and the consequent development of new ‘hybrid’ forms of English.
Understanding geographical variation is key for descriptivist linguists who believe language changes over time and space, and these variations are all equally valid.
The attitudes towards regional and social varieties of English can often be affected by accent prejudice or ‘accentism’, an issue well-documented in discrimination cases in the workplace and elsewhere.

In conclusion, the geographical varieties of English are prevalent and carry a lot of cultural, societal and historical influences. Understanding these varieties is essential in the broad study and understanding of the English language.